Pretty Polly- Gray (OK) pre1959 Moore B
[From Ethel and Chauncey O. Moore, Ballads and Folk Songs of the Southwest. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. There's no way to tell exactly how old this is- all that's known is the informant, Eda M. Gray, died in 1959 and she was born in Jan. 31, 1898 (her version was published in 1964.) The Moores collected it between c.1938- 1959.
R. Matteson 2014]
Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
"Of all ballads this has perhaps obtained the widest circulation," says Professor Child in his extensive comments on Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight (see Child,I,22). The fine story outlives the ballad form, and when the song is forgotten, it is told in prose. Though not the most popular ballad in Oklahoma, it is well known, there being twenty complete variants in our collection. For references and versions, see Arnold, 54-55 ; Belden, 5-16; Brewster, 3 1-36; Chappell, 12; Child, I, 22-62; Cox, 3; Creighton and Senior, 2-9; Davis, 62-85; Eddy, 6-13; Gardner and Chickering, 29-31 Greenleaf and Mansfield, 3-6; Hudson, 61-66, Journal, Vol. XXII, 65 (Beatty), Vol. XVIII, 148 (Perrow), Vol. XXXV, 338 (British references), Vol. LII, 16 (Treat); Mackenzie, Quest, 93,174, 183; Morris, 237-41; Owens, 34-36; Randolph, I, 41-47; Scarborough, 43; Scarborough, Song Catcher, 126-28; Sharp I, 5-13; Smith, 97 ; and Wyman and Brockway, 82-87.
Pretty Polly- Mrs. Woody Gray
He followed her up, he followed her down,
He followed her into her room;
She never had heart to tell him no,
So he had what he wanted of her, her, her,
So he had what he wanted of her.
She lit on her father's yellow beaten gold, [1]
And led the Ireland gray;
She rode till she come to the salt water sea,
Where the water was wide and deep, deep, deep,
Where the water was wide and deep.
"Get down, get down, my pretty Polly,
And tarry a while with me;
For I've drownded six king's daughters,
And you the seventh shall be, be, be,
And you the seventh shall be.
"Pull off, pull off, that silk-white gown,
Hang it on a green-willow tree;
'Tis too costly I do know,
For to rot in the salt water sea, sea, sea,
For to rot in the salt water sea."
"Oh no, oh, no, I never stripped before my father,
I'll never strip before thee."
He turned hisself around and about,
His face out to the sea, sea, sea,
His face out to the sea.
She put her hands around about his waist,
And she knuckled him in at the knees;
She heaved his body into the air,
And she slung him in the deep, deep, deep,
And she slung him in the deep.
"Oh, take me by the frock of the jacket,
And pull me to the shore;
And we will go to London town,
We'll be married for sure, sure, sure,
We'll be married for sure."
"Lie thar, lie thar, you dirty wretch,
Lie thar forever more;
For you have drownded six king's daughters,
And the seventh I'll never be, be, be,
And the seventh I'll never be."
She mounted upon her father's yellow beaten gold,
And led the Ireland gray;
She rode till she come to her father's house,
Three hours before it was day, day, day,
Three hours before it was day.
"Oh, what is the matter, my little parikee?
You're up before it is day."
"The old cat has been around my cage,
And woke me out of my sleep, sleep, sleep,
And woke me out of my sleep."
"Hush up, hush up, my little parikee,
Don't tell no tales on me;
Your wings will be washed in yellow beaten gold,
And trimmed in a high O green, green, green,
And trimmed in a high O green."
1. transferred from parrot (parikee)- usually the cage.